


The Blush and Bloom of Summer

by Misttiique



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crushes, Day At The Beach, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Melt - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Popsicles, Summer Vacation, Sunscreen, freeze - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misttiique/pseuds/Misttiique
Summary: For Daichi Summer Lovefest 2020 Prompt Bingo————Squeezing the sunscreen onto his palm, he admires the sight of Daichi’s back. Tan skin and muscles from unbelievably long and tough volleyball practices — not to mention the countless additional hours at the gym — have shaped his back to be a work of art.Well, to Suga at least.The summer season has officially arrived and what better way to celebrate it with a National Tournament win and a weekend in the sun on a luxurious beach resort as a reward. Even though it's the first day of their vacation, he's sure this summer is going to be the hottest one yet.
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Kudos: 34
Collections: Daichi Love Fest 2020





	1. Red Hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Daichi Summer Lovefest 2020 Prompt Bingo: Sunscreen
> 
> ————
> 
> Squeezing the sunscreen onto his palm, he admires the sight of Daichi’s back. Tan skin and muscles from unbelievably long and tough volleyball practices — not to mention the countless additional hours at the gym — have shaped his back to be a work of art.
> 
> Well, to Suga at least. Even though it's the first day of their summer vacation at the beach resort, he's sure this summer is going to be the hottest one yet.

An hour’s drive from the airport is the beach resort that the entire Karasuno Volleyball Team has been waiting for — perhaps even more than winning the National Tournament title. 

The past hour made Suga’s legs stiff and his back sore from the hard seats of the team’s bus, which was something he’ll have to remind Daichi about when they reach. 

The summer season has officially arrived and what better way to celebrate it with a National Tournament win and a weekend in the sun on a luxurious beach resort as a reward. 

The moment the bus pulls over at the beach resort’s large cul-de-sac, Tanaka and Nishinoya are already standing at the bus doors, ready to run out when they opened. They are followed by Hinata with Kageyama at his heels, again in a race to see who would reach the entrance of the resort first. Meanwhile, the rest of the team are leisurely getting off the bus and waiting for their luggage by the side of it. All of them clearly aware that this was a relaxing retreat and not a race. 

Suga flips his sunglasses from their perch atop his head down to the bridge of his nose. Breathing in the smell of the sea, he exhales it with a sigh as he descends the steps of the bus. This is what he has been waiting for. After a gruelling tournament of back to back matches, there seemed to be no rest for the Karasuno team in their ascent into victory. Every match was longer than the last. Every opponent was stronger than the previous one. Everything point all the harder to score. 

Asahi waits with him as Daichi checks the seats of the bus to make sure no one on the team has left anything behind, especially those that left in such haste. And true enough, Daichi appears next to Suga and Asahi with a passport case in his hand. 

“I guess Hinata won’t want to leave this place,” Daichi jokes when he flips open the case. 

“I know I won’t. And, I guess they don’t want their luggage either,” Suga replies with a laugh when he turns to see Tanaka, Nishinoya, Hinata and Kageyama hopping up and down at the steps of the entrance of the resort, probably trying to decide who got there first. 

Daichi, Suga and Asahi were the oldest in the professional volleyball team though more often than not, Daichi and Suga’s roles as Captain and Vice-captain made them the parental figures of the team. 

With a shout of forgotten luggage, Daichi manages to get the attention of the rowdy bunch, and Suga’s sure that he’s also got the attention of the entire resort as well. Don’t get him wrong, Daichi’s duty as the ‘dad’ of the group meant a lot of disciplining and sometimes reprimanding for the team’s misbehaviours but deep down, he was a big softie and something about it just made Suga’s heartbeat a little faster. _He might as well have gotten the attention for his looks as well,_ Suga thinks to himself. 

Daichi has been his best friend since they met each other and Asahi back in high school when they all joined the volleyball club. Their chemistry only heightened their bond and reading each other’s thoughts or actions came almost naturally to them. There were times when Suga’s attention would turn towards Daichi, his soft hazel eyes taking Daichi’s handsome, sharp features. His heart would feel like he’s just scored a point but his body would feel like he’s about to serve on the court. Besides Daichi, no one could make him feel the way he did when he was looking at him. If Daichi wasn’t his best friend, he’d check all the boxes of his list for a soulmate. Smart, supportive and charming with a side of wittiness were only some of the many good qualities that made it easy for anyone to fall in love with Daichi, not that Suga would keep track of anyway. Sometimes even being this close to Daichi was too good to be true. Suga knew he shouldn’t ever cross that impossibly thin line at this risk of ruining their friendship forever. But he could dream— or daydream— once in a while, couldn’t he? 

Just as he was now as he watched Daichi carry his own luggage, his biceps flexing with the weight and showing off their large size. Suga’s eyes are fixated on their targets before he quickly averts his gaze somewhere else, becoming suddenly too aware of how much he’s been staring at him. 

The team checks into the resort, faster than expected and they head up to their rooms. Though it was a vacation, the reward came with an itinerary of some popular activities to do at the resort and nearby islands. The very first one was seeing the beach. It was boasted as one of the most beautiful beaches of the region and from Suga’s view from his own room, it seems like it’s living up to his expectations. He couldn’t wait to feel the warm sand between his toes and the cool waves crashing into his ankles as he stands at the shoreline — something he’s been waiting for since the trip was announced. 

With summer vacation, the resort is much busier than usual but the team are lucky enough to find room for themselves closer to the water and not too far away from the bar. 

As expected, there was yet another race to the ocean with Tanaka and Nishinoya stripping down to their swim shorts immediately after they reached and now leading the way. Most of the team spread out in twos and threes, some relaxing under wide umbrellas with deck chairs, while others already sprinting into the water. 

The sun feels much hotter than Suga had expected. His fair skin is quick to turn bright red and soon, it’d be tanner than it has been for the entire tournament season. He’s about to remind the others to remember to wear their sunscreen when he realizes he’s left his own sunscreen on his dressing table in his hotel room. _Guess the sea will have to wait,_ he tells himself with a sigh, walking to one of the large umbrellas and setting his things down onto the table beside a deck chair, preparing to wait it out. 

For a moment, he thinks he’s alone as he settles in his deck chair with his sunglasses over his eyes when a familiar voice calls out to him. 

“Suga-san, I thought the first thing you’d want to do when you get here would be to get into the water.” 

A grin spreads across Suga’s face, his mood instantly brightens. He doesn’t need to raise his sunglasses off the bridge of his nose to know who the voice belongs to but he does so anyway. 

And, the sight is something _very_ worthwhile too. With sculpted abs that seemed to be carved out of marble, it could make Suga drool all over himself. Sure, it looked incredible in the locker room but out here, the temperature just rose by a hundred times from this sight alone. Shirtless Sawamura Daichi was truly a sight to behold. 

“Wow, you actually remembered why I wanted to win the tournament?” Suga teases playfully. 

“Well, only because you mentioned it a million times since we won, then yeah, I totally remember it.” 

Daichi’s laugh fills the air like music to his ears. Suga stretches a hand to offer the deck chair next to him, which Daichi accepts willingly. He leans back and stretches himself out against his own deck chair, turning his attention to the crashing waves before him as Daichi sets down his own things and gets comfortable on the other chair. 

“I would go out to the water but I left my sunscreen upstairs and I really don’t intend on looking like a lobster on the rest of the trip,” explains Suga. His attention is still on the waves, longing for the cool rush of the waves against his body. 

“Why didn’t you say so? I have my sunscreen right here!” Daichi begins rummaging through his bag as Suga turns to face him, the disbelief of his luck written all over his face. 

Daichi hands him the sunscreen that Suga takes gratefully. 

“Thank you, Daichi. You’re a real lifesaver, you know?”

“A lifesaver?”

“Yeah, obviously. You’re saving my skin from this burning sun.”

“Hmm, then do I get a reward for my kind deed?”

Suga thinks for a moment. A small part of him says a kiss on the cheek but dismisses it away, too shy to entertain the thought. 

“I think I owe you a popsicle now,” Suga answers instead, motioning to the bar nearby with a clear fridge filled with colourful popsicles sticks. 

“Sure thing.” Daichi’s grin makes him want to literally explode. He’s finished rubbing sunscreen on most of his body and as he strains to reach his back, Daichi notices his trouble. 

“May I?” Daichi offers like a true gentleman. Suga nods, any resistance is completely futile even if he tries. He scoots over to the edge of the deck chair, making room for Daichi to sit behind him. 

Suga doesn’t know how his heart could beat harder and louder than the waves crashing onto the shore for it is the only thing he hears and he wonders if Daichi can hear it too. It’s not uncommon for Daichi to touch him with a pat on the back or having an arm on his shoulders or even massage an aching shoulder but this… this just felt different on a whole new level. Maybe it was the fact that Daichi’s chest was bare. Or maybe it was because Daichi’s hand on his back was gingerly rubbing the sunscreen in a very soothing motion. His palm has just the right temperature and pace gliding over his back. Suga bits his bottom lip, worrying if the freckles on his back look weird but a part of him knows that Daichi has seen his back before and won’t gasp in horror if he sees it again. 

“For the record, I think you’ll look kinda cute as a lobster,” Daichi murmurs. His hands are gently on Suga’s back and his touch has sent a shiver down his spine, which he can only wish Daichi doesn’t notice. The way that those soft hands rub his back makes him secretly wish that the sensation would last forever. 

Daichi pulls away from a very, very flushed Suga as he closes the sunscreen when he’s done. Suga’s cheeks are practically burning now, possibly even hotter than the sun shining above them. He might as well be a lobster now with how red he is. 

“Thank you, _again,_ Daichi. I think I owe you another popsicle for that.” He stares down at the space between them, his back tingling slightly from the effect of having Daichi’s palms on them. 

“Gladly,” Daichi replies. “I’ll be looking forward to them.”

Suga’s face is so hot that it’s about to burn right off. He doesn’t dare look up to meet Daichi’s warm brown eyes because if he did, he’ll simply melt. 

“Well, I’m going to head on to the water now,” Suga gets up and quickly turns away to face the sea. “Care to join?” he offers and at the same time mentally screams at what he just did. Hopefully, Daichi can’t tell how he’s losing his cool right now. He reminds himself about the boundary he can’t ever cross but with Daichi being this close? It was only getting harder and harder. He doesn’t even know how long he can hold the truth of his feelings in. It’s a war being waged between his head and his heart. 

“Sure! Just give me a sec to put on some sunscreen.” 

There’s a pause between them that allows Suga to relax for a moment. The adrenaline from being this close with Daichi is much more than what he usually feels during a match. How was he going to survive this trip with Daichi and his feelings? 

“Actually, Suga, maybe you could give me a hand here?” Daichi requests. Suga spins around to see Daichi’s big beam and a hand motioning towards his back where he can’t reach to apply the sunscreen for himself. 

“Oh, of course, Daichi,” he replies at once. _I mean, what are friends for right?_ He thought to himself, also hoping he didn’t sound too excited. 

Squeezing the sunscreen onto his palm, he admires the sight of Daichi’s back. Tan skin and muscles from unbelievably long and tough volleyball practices — not to mention the countless additional hours at the gym — have shaped his back to be a work of art. Well, to Suga at least. Even though it's the first day of their summer vacation at the beach resort, he's sure this summer is going to be the hottest one yet. He touches Daichi’s back softly, letting his fingers trace his skin when all they wanted to do was explore the entirety of it. He reminds himself not to get carried away with the staring and proceeds to run the sunscreen all over the back. He can feel the muscles underneath and it’s enough to make his breathing speed up even faster. He realizes he’s stalling and tells himself to focus and just get it done. It takes all his effort not to be distracted by Daichi being so close to him. 

“Okay, all done!” he announces when he’s done, even patting Daichi’s back before capping the tube of sunscreen. 

“Thanks, Suga!” 

Suga nods. He’s holding his breath before he reaches the water, sensing this trip was not going to be a simple vacation after all. The cold waves are a pleasant complete difference from the toasty sand and yet, the warmth that is blooming in his chest overwhelms it. 


	2. Hot & Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Daichi Summer Lovefest 2020 Prompt Bingo: Melt and Freeze
> 
> ———— 
> 
> “Suga, don't forget you have a popsicle in your hand, especially in this weather!” Daichi reminds him. “It melts faster than you think.” 
> 
> Clearly that wasn’t the only thing that was melting right now. 
> 
> “Oh! Uh… ri-right” is the only reply Suga could muster at this point in time.

The cold, sweet, cyan blue syrup drips down their hands and into the sand between them. Their conversation continues from the equally blue ocean to their deck chairs. 

Suga can't help the giggles as he covers his mouth and he looks away in slight embarrassment at the dirty joke coming out of Daichi’s mouth. He knew they could talk for hours and hours on end but there was something different this time. He wonders if Daichi is sensing it too. 

It is a warm feeling — the kind that made him want to smile a little too much over the simplest of things. And yet, if only his mouth wasn’t as frozen stiff when it came to talking about them. His dilemma is clear: though he felt at ease with Daichi, that easiness could be also easily broken if Daichi knew how Suga really felt about him. And, Suga doesn’t know if it’s worth risking it. For now, all he can do was keep his lips sealed. 

His gaze flickers back to Daichi. With his short hair still wet and his gorgeous body with abs for days that were still obvious as he leans on his side in the deck chair, Suga’s popsicle can practically feel how hot he looks as it melts. The melting treat is a clear reflection of his present state and he can clearly feel his excitement in his own shorts. 

Daichi pauses to lick the dripping popsicle in his hand. His tongue going all the way from his hand to the tip of the melting treat. Suga’s eyes trace it with such precision as if he’s watching the volleyball during a match. The pink against the blue of the popsicle contrasts each other and for a moment, it’s the only things that fill his head. The hardness in his shorts feels much more obvious now. Daichi licks the popsicle again from top to bottom. The simple action makes Suga’s mouth start to go dry. He gulps in response, wondering if the temperature has suddenly increased even more on this sweltering day. 

At the back of his mind, he can’t help himself but think about all the things that Daichi’s tongue could do besides lick that popsicle. Even the pace it was going at seems right for other things. 

He sucks at the top of it while his brown eyes meet Suga’s. The tip of his tongue grazing the tip of the popsicle. 

Suga’s own eyes widen as he finally becomes more self-aware. Yet, tearing his eyes away is proving too hard. With all his effort, he snaps out of it and looks down instead, mentally chiding himself for staring too long and too hard. He shouldn’t have even looked at Daichi in the first place, though he knew that was nearly next to impossible for him. The conversation has paused for a minute while Daichi stops the popsicle syrup from flowing down his hand any further. 

“Suga, don't forget you have a popsicle in your hand, especially in this weather!” Daichi reminds him. “It melts faster than you think.” 

Clearly that wasn’t the only thing that was melting right now. 

“Oh! Uh… ri-right” is the only thing Suga could muster at this point in time. 

They chat a bit more but now Suga’s tongue feels like lead, heavy with the knowledge deep in his heart. Those feelings try to escape but his lips are frozen solid, not able to form the words he so desperately wants to say. The day seems to have cooled, though Suga thinks more like it’s melted, into the evening. Although silence settles comfortably between them when they watch the breathtaking sight of the sunset, Suga presses his lips in a tight line. 

He glances away to the other side of the beach. The strong waves crash with ferocity against the rocks; wanting them to either move or threaten to crush them with force. However, the rocks hold their place, stubborn and impenetrable. 

When the sun finally sinks below the sea, they get up to leave the almost-empty beach. The sand is much cooler than it was before and the waves seem to charge against the shore with more force than usual, as if urging Suga to talk to Daichi. 

With Daichi walking with him side-by-side, he glances down at Daichi’s empty hand. He would fill that space with his own and maybe even hold his hand as something more than what they currently were in their relationship status. If only he could just muster up enough courage to tell him that he —

“Suga,” murmurs Daichi gently. It’s the first time Daichi said his name that way before. Suga looks up at him at the sound of his name. His eyes are wide and curious about the change in Daichi’s tone. Could he have sensed it too? Was he acting too weird that Daichi had noticed?

“So…. um, there’s this festival along the beach tomorrow. I’m not certain if the rest of the team will be going but… Do you… perhaps… want to g-go together?” 

Daichi’s words are a mess and he even stuttered a little at the end of the question, a sign of nervousness and hesitation that the Captain of the team would never have shown. For a moment, Suga wonders if this out-of-character question even came from Daichi in the first place. Then the question sinks in. 

Oh, he wants to go to the festival. 

_Oh, he wants to go to the festival._

_With me._

_Wait, what?_

Daichi’s concerned gaze flickers to Suga’s unfathomable expression. “It’s totally cool if you’ve already made plans though, we don’t have—“

The realization slowly dawns on him. _Daichi, of all people it’s Daichi, asking me out._ Suga’s face starts to heat up once more, definitely melting more of that pride he has about keeping his feelings to himself. 

Nodding his head, his eyes move to meet Daichi’s. Suddenly his tongue no longer feels restricted, which he had been trying so hard to maintain so he wouldn’t end up spilling out all his probably unrequited feelings. Now, things are starting to warm up.

“Yes, yes, I would love to go,” Suga answers, his lips curling into a smile. He nods again, so happy that he seems to be saying ‘yes’ with all his might. It almost feels like Daichi has just proposed to him, which he would have given the same response anyway. 

It wasn’t the same as Daichi explicitly saying it was a date or that he had liked him per se, but Suga could only hope it could go in that direction. Still, it was _way_ better than having Suga freeze and mess up everything if he had tried to do the same thing.

Only Daichi could melt Suga’s frozen state and Suga was more than happy with that. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at Misttiique on [Tumblr](https://misttiique.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/misttiique). 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! :D


End file.
